Reiner, Zoro, and Brook walked out of the giant machine called the 'Changing Room' with awkward expressions.
The feeling of being forcibly stripped by machine claws and seen naked by each other was quite strange.
After being led to the island by Lilith, Reiner had immediately gone to pick up the two who were guarding the ship, leaving a few powerful undead to guard the Merry.
"Well? Not bad, right?"
Lilith grinned proudly and introduced them to Reiner and the others:
"What you're wearing on your feet now are called DOM Boots. You can adjust them at the joystick, and they will automatically tighten to the size of your feet."
"Is that so."
Zoro bent down to try. He had already changed into a set of somewhat heavy-looking green long clothes, which looked futuristic like a spacesuit.
After a simple try, the DOM Boots indeed tightened, and what made him feel strange was that this seemingly stuffy clothing was actually very cool and light.
On the other side, Reiner had changed into a sky-blue floral shirt and big shorts, looking as if he were on vacation at a beach, full of summer flair.
Brook was also in a pink floral shirt. The common thing among the three was that they had all changed into cylindrical boots.
"Next, I'll take you to the Labophase. The border dome isn't deployed, so we can just fly straight up."
With that, flames shot out from the bottom of Lilith's DOM Boots, and like a rocket thruster, they carried her entire person slowly into the air.
"This is achieved by an anti-gravity device combined with a thruster. You guys should try it too. Pull the adjustment lever you just used and press the button next to it at the same time."
Lilith smiled and patted her boots, gesturing.
"Yohohoho~ It looks so cool!"
Hearing they were going to the sky island layer, Brook was extremely excited and danced with joy.
"Where are Luffy and the others?"
Zoro just glanced at the sky island faintly and asked Lilith.
Being in the territory of the World Government, as a pirate, he had to maintain a proper sense of vigilance, especially with this woman who called herself Vegapunk. Although she hadn't made any threats, Zoro could always vaguely feel a hidden hostility from her.
"They are with the main body. They'll ride the vacuum rocket up later. We'll just go a step ahead."
Seeing that Zoro was still unmoved, Lilith's smile faded, and her tone became a little impatient:
"Tch, anyway, my mission is to guide you up. Come or not, as you please."
With that, she just left. Leaving the three standing there, Reiner fiddled with his boots and, like Lilith, he floated up.
"A bit interesting."
Usually, he relied on his undead to fly. This was the first time he had experienced flying like this, something he had only experienced in his dreams.
He, who had not yet mastered the control skills, did his best to maintain his balance, feeling the sense of weightlessness and the wind blowing in his face. A sense of novelty rose in Reiner's heart.
"Let's go. Luffy and the others will be fine."
Reiner's lips curled up as he looked back and said. He chased after Lilith, and Zoro and Brook followed closely behind.
"Whoa—! I'm flying! My whole skeleton is trembling with excitement! I'm so excited I could just pee...!"
Boom!!
Lilith raised her hand and blasted Brook back with a rocket launcher.
Before long, the group landed on the cotton-white cloud mass that held the giant eggshell, the Egghead Labophase.
Lilith stuck a sign that said [Skeletons and Dogs Prohibited from Urinating Anywhere] into the ground and then led them inside.
Stepping on the island clouds, there was a soft and elastic feeling. The clouds here were exactly the same as in Skypiea, including the sea of clouds they had just flown over on the outer ring.
According to Lilith, this was achieved using an island-wide air conditioner. The principle was the same as a sky island, condensed from the salt crystals in the moisture.
Arriving at the entrance of the research institute, Lilith did not open the door, but instead crashed straight into the large, square steel plate. Her entire person passed into it without a sound.
Reiner imitated her and walked in, not asking any more questions. When in doubt, it's the power of science.
Entering the room, the blue floor was clean and simple, almost as if it were composed of screen panels. Small robots passed by from time to time, and various mechanical structures, combined with the bright neon lights, made one feel as if they had entered the interior of a spaceship.
"Lilith, are the Seraphim on the island right now?"
Reiner suddenly spoke up. His words startled Lilith a little.
The research on the Seraphim had begun a long time ago, but they had only recently been revealed to the world. It had always been one of the World Government's top secrets.
But on second thought, the operation to hunt down the Warlords had caused a huge stir, and the whole world was paying attention. It was not unreasonable that some information about the Seraphim had been leaked.
Lilith turned her head and replied:
"One is here. S-Shark is in the research institute. The others have been lent out for testing."
"Testing?"
"Mm. S-Bear is with CP. The others were lent to the Marines to capture the Warlords. What, you want to try fighting one?"
"Oh right! Hey, come and try it, Reiner!"
Lilith's eyes lit up as she suddenly thought of something.
"The World's Strongest Man and the Strongest Human I invented. We can definitely collect very valuable combat data! And I can take the opportunity to teach you a good lesson."
"Only one... let's forget it. This thing is very expensive, right? I can't afford to pay if I break it."
Reiner waved his hand and refused.
If all seven Seraphim were to join forces, they could definitely gain an advantage over him. With only one, he really wasn't very interested.
Without four Seraphim joining forces, they couldn't even pin Reiner down. Although these words sounded a bit harsh to Lilith, she just sneered with disgust:
"What an arrogant man. Tch. You're not scared, are you?"
"I am, I'm scared. As expected of the world's number one scientist. The things you invented are invincible."
Reiner was immune to taunts and sarcastically retorted.
Lilith clenched her fists, gritting her teeth in anger.
How can this person be so cheeky?
"Hmph! Speaking of which, S-Hawk and S-Snake should be sent back soon! Just you wait! I'll definitely teach you a lesson then!"
Lilith stomped her foot angrily.
Zoro, on the other hand, became interested in the so-called Seraphim.
"The Strongest Human? From what Luffy's grandpa said, that thing should be about the same as a Pacifista. Are they really that amazing?"
"Straw Hat's grandpa?"
Lilith was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted.
"I see. So it was Garp who told you."
"You should have seen the Pacifista and Kuma. Although their appearance is the same, there is a big gap in their strength. For you, those Pacifistas are indeed not much of a threat. But,"
"On top of that, the Seraphim also have the lineage factor of the Warlords, and are paired with their corresponding, freely usable fruit abilities. Their combat power is no less than the original bodies."
A corner of Lilith's mouth lifted in what seemed like a boast.
Zoro's eyes burned, and his tone was laced with eagerness:
"They can also skillfully use their fruit abilities? Then isn't there no difference from the original body?"
"Conversely, the combat power of a Seraphim is equal to a Warlord who can use lasers?"
Zoro understood it this way and asked:
"Can they use Haki?"
"Of course. The Seraphim can all use Observation and Armament Haki."
Lilith stopped, put her hands on her hips, and faced Zoro.
"Don't think of them as robots like the Pacifistas. The only thing that limits their strength is their age. They are, after all, only eight-year-old children."
"But because I fused them with the lineage factor of the Lunarian race, you don't have to worry about their physical strength at all. And they will continue to grow in the future."
"The Lunarian race?"
"That's right. You should have seen him. Kaido's subordinate, King the Conflagration."
Faced with Brook's confusion, Lilith mentioned a figure they all knew.
Brown skin, black wings on his back with fire burning on them. The more the flame burns, the stronger the defense it grants the body, making it impervious to swords and spears. Conversely, it grants them extreme speed.
They could be said to be one of the strongest races in terms of physical ability. If they hadn't been exterminated, the number one race in the world today might not be the giants.
Under Lilith's explanation, Zoro and Brook couldn't help but refresh their understanding of the Seraphim.
"Listening to you, these guys are ridiculously strong."
"Nonsense."
Lilith crossed her arms in front of her chest and raised her head. Her tone changed, and she turned her face away.
"Of course. After all, they are still young. It's indeed not enough to deal with opponents at the level of a Sea Emperor."
"In the operation to capture the Pirate Empress this time, due to the interference of Blackbeard Teach and the former Marine Admiral Aokiji, S-Hawk and S-Snake were both considerably damaged. The Marines are already escorting them back."
Lilith's expression dimmed slightly.
Hearing this, the three of them's eyes moved. Zoro couldn't help but ask with a puzzled expression:
"Blackbeard and Aokiji? Why were they there?"
"And what's the result? What's the situation on Kuja Island now?"
Reiner knew the other was after Hancock's ability. Aokiji's presence was a bit unexpected.
Hancock was their friend. She had helped them during the Summit War. They were naturally concerned about her safety.
"I heard she was captured by Blackbeard. I don't know the specifics."
Lilith shrugged and said.
Besides the situation with the Seraphim, the Marines wouldn't report the detailed information to a scientist. As for the Straw Hat crew...
Lilith secretly glanced at them and found that all three were frowning. She couldn't help but be curious:
"What's wrong? Do you care about her a lot?"
"Mm. We know her."
Reiner replied casually, then turned his head to look at the other two. Zoro and Brook were also looking at him. It seemed they all had the same answer in their hearts.
—We'll talk about it later.
There's no point in rushing this. We'll regroup with the others first.
"Let's keep going."
Reiner stepped forward and said to Lilith:
"The operation to hunt down the Warlords was a few days ago. Blackbeard's main base is on Hachinosu. Calculating the journey, he probably hasn't returned yet."
"He should be almost there. The Marines are almost here with the Seraphim. Hachinosu isn't actually that far from here,"
Lilith said thoughtfully, reminding them.
Before long, she led the three of them to a spacious room.
A tall red robot that looked like it was from B-Robo Kabutack, and a small green robot that looked like it was from Cybertron, were busy at a workbench.
They were Vegapunk's other two satellites, Pythagoras and Edison.
Just as they stepped into the studio, the door on the other side also opened at the same time. Vegapunk walked in with Luffy's group. They, like them, had also changed into the characteristic clothing here.
"Reiner, Zoro, Brook."
"Hahaha! You've come at the right time! Let me introduce you to the apple uncle I just met! His name is Vegapunk! He's an amazing scientist!"
Luffy ran over, full of excitement.
Reiner finally saw Vegapunk's main body. The bizarre ratio of 8-parts-leg, 2-parts-body made the other look very petite, but he was actually very tall. His long tongue stuck out. At a glance, it reminded him of Einstein.
"So this is Vegapunk himself. He really looks..."
Should I say 'weird'?
Zoro looked at Vegapunk's apple head, at a loss for words.
"But we can talk about this later. There's some bad news I have to tell you."
Zoro's expression changed as he looked at Luffy and said to the point in a low voice:
"Hancock was captured by Blackbeard."
"Hancock? Eh—?!"
Luffy was stunned for a moment, then immediately cried out in alarm.
"What did you say, Moss-head?! Miss Hancock was captured?!"
"Wait a minute, Sanji."
Nami raised her hand to stop Sanji. Her expression was a little worried as she asked anxiously:
"Zoro, what's going on? Where did you get this news?"
"Here. This woman said it. The news hasn't been confirmed yet."
Zoro's face was calm as he pointed his thumb at Lilith beside him.
Tch. As if I'd believe you.
Lilith crossed her arms in front of her chest and turned her face away unhappily, ignoring him. It was Vegapunk who spoke first:
"It's true. Blackbeard and Aokiji injured two Seraphim and captured the Pirate Empress. Do you know her?"
"Mm."
Nami nodded in response:
"Hancock is our friend. She even helped us during the Summit War."
"That's right! And more importantly!"
Luffy also agreed loudly: "That girl treated us to a huge feast!"
"No, that's not more important."
Usopp waved his hand, unable to help but complain.
"I don't care! It's Blackbeard, right? To actually capture our friend! Watch me go and beat him up!"
Luffy was furious. In comparison, Sanji's eyes burned with even more rage.
"How dare he lay his hands on Miss Hancock! I'm going to kill him!"
"Yohohoho~ So many panties~"
Brook chimed in, but he was blushing and staring at the new outfits of the girls.
Usopp rolled his eyes and chopped him on the head, smashing the skeleton's head into the ground. He bared his teeth and cursed:
"Your reaction is too slow! Is this the time to be talking about that!"
"What do we do now, Reiner?"
Nami held her hands, a little worried, and cast a pleading look at him.
Reiner sorted through the information and thought for a moment, then said lightly:
"Blackbeard's goal is probably to plunder Devil Fruits. Logically speaking, he should have killed Hancock the moment he got his hands on her."
"Since he didn't kill her then, she probably won't be in any danger for a short time. At least, there's a chance before the other party returns to their main base."
"According to Lilith, Hachinosu is not particularly far from here. If we fly with the azure dragon, we can get there one step ahead of him."
To calm everyone down, Reiner could only analyze the situation in the best possible light.
Blackbeard was definitely a ruthless person. It was really hard to say if Hancock was alive or dead now.
"Luffy."
After hearing Reiner's words, Nami immediately looked at Luffy.
"The battle with Kaido just ended. Are we going to start a war with the Blackbeard Pirates now? Though I don't really mind. Luffy, you just have to decide."
Zoro's eyes burned, and a corner of his mouth lifted as he spoke.
Luffy scanned the group, pressed down on the straw hat on his head, and grinned:
"Everyone's thoughts are the same, right? Hihihi! In that case, let's get ready to set off!"
"Yeah!"
"I'm coming to save you, Miss Hancock!"
Sanji was full of fighting spirit.
Just then, the group thought of another problem. Usopp raised his hand and asked:
"Wait a minute. If we're flying over, what about the Merry?"
It was possible to fly with the ship. The flame clouds created by the azure dragon could even lift Onigashima. But in that case, the speed would be much slower.
He was too far away, and Reiner couldn't let his undead guard the ship either.
"Well. If you can trust me, you can leave the ship to me."
Just then, Vegapunk stepped forward and, with his hands behind his back, said:
"I'll have the Veg-Force move your ship to the Labophase. That way, you won't have to worry about the ship."
"Can you move it up?! That's great! Then we'll leave the Merry to you, uncle!"
"Mm. You can go without worry. After all, I'll probably need you to do me a favor later."
Vegapunk nodded at Luffy.
Luffy patted him on the shoulder and said with a generous laugh:
"Don't be polite with us, uncle! If you need any help, just let us know! We'll definitely help you!"
"I know. When the time comes, I definitely won't be polite."
At this time, Luffy still didn't know that the promise he had just made would put him in a deadly situation a few days later...
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